


Learning

by die_wiederkehr



Series: Gifts of Silver Light [3]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works
Genre: Gen, baby elf, cavity inducing, pointy eared life ruiners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 07:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3560705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/die_wiederkehr/pseuds/die_wiederkehr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Celebrían is learning to read to surprise her father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning

Stories were among Celebrían’s favorite things. She loved sitting and listening to her parents read her stories, listening to stories they would make up for her at bedtime. Sometimes they let her pick the stories they would read to her and she frequently chose the one with the brightest colored spine.

She’d picked up on speaking fairly well as she’d grown but reading was still a work in progress. Her parents didn’t force her to learn, it wouldn’t help her progress by forcing her to learn. So they were patient, reading her stories when she’d ask and answering her questions when she would point at a word and ask what it was. By no means was their daughter behind the other children, in fact she was ahead of them in some ways. Her parents were leaders, experienced and wise, and she was good at listening. And she picked up quite a bit from them that most people wouldn’t expect an elfling to understand.

So one day Celebrían carried a book to her mother after they’d finished dealing with a trade meeting. It had been a present her father had bought her, a book full of short stories. She climbed into her lap without a word and opened to a random page before looking up to Galadriel.

“Help me read, mommy?” And how could she deny her daughter, looking up at her in the moment with such a sweet smile and an eager gaze? When she was ready to start reading on her own. She couldn’t deny her at all and sat with her for over an hour just helping her through the story as she slowly sounded out each word. It would take time, they didn’t get through the whole story yet but it was a start. And Galadriel couldn’t help but kiss the top of Celebrían’s head when they stopped.

“I am so proud of you, little one. We’ll read more tomorrow, hm?” Celebrían climbed out of her lap with a pleased smile, running off to put the book away until the next day. Galadriel wanted to tell her husband, it was hard to restrain herself from doing exactly that, but she did. Celebrían had asked, just before running off, to keep it a secret.

“I want to surprise daddy.” She’d said and run off before she’d been able to answer, giving her no chance to refuse her. Not that she’d have been able to. Not for something like that.

They all went on with their day normally, though Galadriel was noticeably more pleased and Celeborn couldn’t guess at the reason however much he tried. When he asked, she merely kissed him softly and told him:

“We’ve done very well with Celebrían.” Nothing more and so he let it go at that.

Each day following that first time, Celebrían climbed into her mother’s lap and they worked a little more at her growing skill. Some words still gave her trouble but they worked on those as well, Galadriel gently reminding her to sound the words out and to take her time. She didn’t have to rush, her parents would both still be there when she was ready and she was already doing so well.

Celebrían was determined though. When she didn’t practice with her mother, she sometimes snuck off to practice on her own, trying to make sure she found a place her parents wouldn’t find her. Galadriel always managed to though, she kept careful track of her daughter in those days. Mostly to make sure her surprise wasn’t accidentally ruined and, once or twice, she’d found herself leading Celeborn away and making up some excuse or another as to why. Weeks passed with this same pattern.

And she learned that her daughter _loved_ reading as they practiced. Her face would light up each time they practiced and when they finished a page. And then she would whine a little when her mother told her it was time to stop practicing for the day, begging for just a few more minutes, just a few more sentences. She couldn’t refuse.

Then the day came that Celebrían felt ready enough to read on her own. She practiced with her mother first, when Galadriel would work with her. Celebrían chose a different story from what they’d been practicing on. She read slowly, sounding words out just like her mother had told her too until they reached the end of the story.

There were tears in Galadriel’s eyes when Celebrían closed the book and looked up to her mother with a smile, a smile that faltered at the sight.

“Mommy? Did I do it wrong?” She pouted a little at the thought and Galadriel had to wrap her arms around her and hug her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and reassuring her quietly.

“No. No, my sweet. You were wonderful.” She was growing up so fast suddenly, it seemed to her. She was still so young, decades away from being considered an adult among their people and, logically, she knew they had so much time until then but for the moment it didn’t seem like enough. “Your father is going to be so pleased when you read to him.”

Her expression changed, brightening again before hopping out of her mother’s lap and going to play until bedtime. It took a little while for her to move herself, planning to watch from the doorway as Celeborn put their daughter to bed that night. There was a noticeable energy about her for the rest of the day until Celeborn finally gathered their daughter up and started getting her ready for bed.

He helped her change into his night dress and loosened her hair from the braids she had tied into it that day, brushing through it carefully until all the knots were eased out and her hair felt soft to the touch, hanging lightly around her shoulders, silver as the moonlight. And the he pulled her into his arms and tucked her into bed, sitting beside her and drawing her close beside him.

“What story would you like tonight, little fawn?” He asked softly. She looked thoughtful for a moment before squirming and running over to her bookshelf, grabbing her book of short stories before scrambling back onto her bed and into her father’s lap. “This one again?”

“No. I want to read to you.” Celeborn froze for a moment and Galadriel couldn’t help but laugh softly from the doorway. Suddenly he understood why she’d been so eager lately, why she’d been leading him away so often. He looked away from his wife and back to their daughter.

“Alright, little moonbeam. What story will you read?” He half expected her to pick one he’d read to her before but was surprised again when she turned to the last story in the book and started reading. She read slowly, sounding out some of the harder words and he gave her the chance to do it all on her own rather than undermining her growing confidence by helping her.

Near the end of the story, she started yawning and rubbing at her eyes but stubbornly refused to give up the book. In the end, Celeborn had to wait for her to fall asleep in his arms before slipping the book from her hands and tucking her in. And then he turned towards his wife with a smile and shook his head. He knew that she’d known about this. Why else would she have just stood in the doorway smiling instead of joining them?

“She was wonderful.” He said, wrapping an arm around Galadriel. “Now I know what you’ve been up to these past weeks.”

“Oh, she was insistent. She absolutely had to surprise you.” She laughed a little. “Come, no doubt she will come to us early so she can finish reading you the story.” And she slipped from his hold and took his hand, leading him down the hall to their own room.


End file.
